Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-01
RIVER CHOKING QUESTION.
Interview with Mr. Ackerman Concerning
the island Purchase andthe Action OF
the Powers That be Relating to
tAa River Obstruction.

the Powers That be Relating to
the River Obstruction.
The river question is still commanding
cons iderabIe attention The efforts Of the
council to stop the filing in process seem to
meet with universal approval No one seems
to deny that that sort Of work ought to be
Stopped Immediately, and many think that
the larger portion of it should be undone.
In finding out who are the ''encroachers''
on the river, is appears that probably the
committee having the matter in charge have
made some mistakes. From their action the
report has gained circulation that Acker-
man g. Co., of the packing house on
the West side, have been filing In
and trying to confine the river to the chan
mel east Of the island. Mr.. Alderman was
Yesterday interviewed on the subject and
stated that some time ago he bought the
island, paying cash and receiving warran-
ty deed Some parties in this CITY would
contract for furnishing sand for building
purposes and without asking any one would
proceed to fill their orders from the islan1.
The sand is for sale but not to be given
away, especially to men who have no more
principle than to help themselves, hog-hKe,
without gaining the consent of the owner.
AS result of the daylight thieves Mr..
Alderman run wire fence around one side
of the north end of the island. That was
the point that these parties would drive
across The fence consists of posts driven
in the sand near forty feet apart and SIN
gle wire stretched along on top The fence
it is claimed, simply defines Mr.. Alderman
line and does not encroach upon the river.
Some parties who were stealing sand were
fired bodily from the island, and tits claimed
that they have undertook the job OF mis-
leading the committee of the council and try
to make it appear that Mr.. Alderman
has put up fence to "turn the river" and
not allow the word to get out that he was
fencing it in to make it go there was no ex-
cuse for their stealing; claiming that they
did not know that the island belonged to
anyone.
The street force, as is known near ten days
ago according to instructions, removed Mr..
Ackerman's fence without anyone having
conferred with him concerning the river.
When their action became known Mr.. Ack-
erman rebuilt the fence. The street force
removed the fence second time few days
ago without Mr.. Alderman knowing
anything about it. 1t Is now
rebuilt and Mr.. Alderman claims that he
will fence in his own property whenever ne
chooses and he would like very much to
know when city authority or any set OF pri-
yate individuals call on him for the purpose
of removing his fences. He thinks that the
powers that be should have had enough re-
spect for him to lot him know when they
first gained the idea that he was doing wrong.
If it could have been shown him that the So
called fence was likely to obstruct the river,
he would have removed it and devised some
other arrangement for entertaining sand
stealers.
He claims that he has never thrown any
thing in the river or placed Instructions OF
any kind The company could not operate
tn sir plant without allowing the water to
run in the channel west of the island. He
would oppose obstructing the river as bitter
ly as any ope In fact the channel as it now
is, is not as deep as the company would like
and they intend to deepen it in few days
near the north end of the island.
Just below the packing house some one
has extended the banks some distance
toward the center. That work is
still going on and has not been spoken to
concerning the hold up process, neither has
the street force stole march on them and
removed the material thrown into the river.
On the opposite side of the river on the
DR.. Black plantation over one hundred feet
has lately been marked of and teams were
yesterday hauling material for filling in.
The late addition to the city is marked of
by a line of piles ornamented witch board
walk on top. Between the filling and city is
considerable space not filed, but the loads
seem to be arriving rather fast.